The Ultimate Guide to Arkansas Weddings
How’s that for a click baity tag line? Honestly if you’re here, you’re either engaged or you’re crazy so let’s assume you’re on the hunt for the perfect wedding, you’re somewhere around the beautiful state of Arkansas and you’re looking for some advice. If that all checks out, you’re in the right place. Here’s a little bit of what this guide will cover.
Finding the perfect wedding venue
Hiring the right wedding planner
Choosing a date and a season
Selecting the right wedding photographer
How to shop for a wedding dress
Hiring a band or a DJ
Building a wedding day schedule
Finding a florist
Where to start planning your Arkansas wedding.
VENUES
I’ve dropped a few links about venues before but let’s just knock out a few of my favorites. Keep in mind that though this list says it’s for all of Arkansas since I live in Bentonville I’m going to give mostly Northwest Arkansas tips here. If you want to take the easy route through this enormous blog post you can see a few of my very favorites in a much more direct article by clicking HERE. That said, there’s a few vendors and venues outside of the little northwest bubble I’ll make sure and add. So without further adieu I’ll drop a list of a few favorite venues - honestly in no particular order - and then talk a little bit about what you should be looking for in your wedding location.
Crystal Bridges MuseumStart here for a whole article on how to plan your Crystal Bridges Museum wedding (it’s no small task having a wedding at 1.3 billion dollar museum) and then consider clicking onto a few of these galleries to see some of our favorite weddings at this amazing space.
The Perfect Summer Crystal Bridges Wedding
Osage House
If you’re on the hunt for a big, beautiful modern white canvas that has beautiful spaces for both bride and groom to get ready, a perfect chapel on site, and plenty of room for both intimate and enormous weddings Osage House is a great option for you. Here are a few standout weddings from Osage. Take a look at a few of these Osage Weddings for inspo on how many different ways this place can be done well!
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
A Little Rock option to die for. It’s not often I can say I’ve seen a venue done to it’s absolute capacity on the first round but in this situation it’s true. The link below will explain what I mean by that but this architectural masterpiece is filled with natural light, endless compositional opportunities, and an amazing staff. Did I mention I ate one of the best wedding dinners of my career here? Check it out!
Sassafras Springs Vineyard
I’m a sucker for a vineyard wedding. I actually wrote an article a few years ago about how to really plan a vineyard wedding (click here to see that) but trust me when I say that when Sassafras was built it was somehow blessed with the most amazing sunsets. This entire property is a dream and keeps getting better with even a new addition for indoor options off of the stables and places for nearly 20 people to sleep right on property and close by. The Lodge is an absolute dream for hair and makeup or a rehearsal dinner as well! Here’s a few Sassafras Weddings worth swooning over.
The Inn at Carnall Hall
A Fayetteville staple right off of the University of Arkansas campus. We’ve seen this place transformed into so many beautiful different looks but the classic element of the architecture, the convenience of the rooms for guests, and the ability to walk with guests and couples all over the University for photos makes this place an absolute treasure to shoot at. You might check out this wedding at Carnall Hall for some inspo: Ashley + Kyle's Carnall Hall Wedding
The record
The Record - This cool old building is nestled in the very middle of downtown Bentonville and is easily within walking distance to the best bars and restaurants in the area. The layout is fairly modular meaning it can easily hold either really large events or can be sectioned off for more intimate ones. You have to see this place to really grasp it : here’s a few favorite weddings from The Record in downtown Bentonville.
Cooper Chapel
If you haven’t seen this one before CLICK HERE for an in depth comparison of ALL of the Arkansas Glass Chapels. Thorncrown, Anthony Chapel, JB Hunt Chapel, and my favorite of all of them Mildred B. Cooper Chapel are covered in here. These buildings like so many in the list above are works of art in themselves. That said there are a few things to consider when having a glass chapel wedding like reception location, where to get ready (the offices double as bridal suites and leave a bit to be desired) and time of day that the sun won’t be leaving WILD shadows everywhere. Here’s a few key glass chapel weddings to wet your appetite.
2.Hire a wedding planner.
Seriously. This person, or team of people will save the fun in this whole process for you and will handle so much of the stress. We’re pretty blessed to have a few of my favorite planning companies anywhere in the country right here in the state. If you’re on the fence about whether or not to hire a wedding planner this article will help you out. Click HERE to see why you absolutely should hire a wedding planner whether you’re in Arkansas or not. Once you decide to : check out a few of these friends of mine!
My best advice about how to choose the right wedding planner for you? Well - hire somebody you like! The truth is this person (or people) are going to have to walk you through a lot trying to capture your vision for your big day and then bring it to life by helping to hire, negotiate, and coordinate with all of your other vendors. I would never ever suggest you hire a wedding planner based on a recommendation until you’ve sat with them, understand their process and feel confident paying them to literally help you make decisions. A good wedding planner will pay for themselves over and over, a bad one will simply add to the stress.
Why not drop a few links in for some of my favorite weddings featuring absolutely amazing planners with the coolest design ideas? Let me say this as directly as I can, these companies carry so much of the weight. From managing the relationships with other vendors and your budget to execution on the actual wedding day, scheduling tastings and planning sessions and even addressing invitations the amount of work a good planner takes on is remarkable and if you want the best out of your photography hiring an amazing planner is a really great way to get there.
3. What season should your wedding be?
It’s actually kind of an enormous question. There’s a lot to think about when you dream about picking a date for your wedding. The first of course is simply what seasons do you love? Spring and Fall? Well - you and everybody else, but that does narrow it down a little. Secondly what formality do your want your wedding to have? A Black Tie wedding at an outside venue in August in the south may not be the best idea if you want your guests (and your groomsmen) to live through it. Similarly if you’re dreaming of a flowy backless wedding dress at sunset in your fiancé’s arms you may want to think twice about January. Ultimately I’ll say this there’s not a ton of value in trying to plan your wedding around foliage or color or temperature but rather around when is best for you two as a couple and the people who are coming. An Easter weekend wedding that is adult only? You’ll lose every parent. A Memorial Day weekend for a destination wedding? You’ll lose a lot of people who would rather be on their local lake than a plane. A few quick tips here :
Start with Venue (and availability at your venue)
Talk about formality and what indoor/outdoor events you’re wanting to have available for guests. Check out this article about Groom's fashion
Research temperatures and rainfall
Commit.
You can’t possibly guess the weather a year out and you absolutely can’t afford to let the weather stress you out when you have no control over it at all. Make the best decision you can as your plan A. Then make 2 or three plan A.2/A.3 options in case it’s a little chilly, or misty, or whatever and save plan B as a bit of a worst case scenario.
4. Don’t picture your wedding in pictures.
This is Arkansas, I get it. Every time you refresh instagram another girl you met in college or bible study or at Whole Foods is getting married. You’re bombarded with sunrise proposals at Hawksbill and sunset ceremonies at Crystal Bridges. You already know every dress that Tesori, She Said Yes, and Joon are selling because of their instagram stories (more on that next). This tip is HARD but try your very best to hire your photographer because you trust them to be YOUR photographer. Not because you’ve seen photos of friends that you love and not because so and so used them! What does in mean in practicality? We say to every bride that 95% of the time you’ve been to weddings you’ve probably never even seen the photography but you’ve likely seen the photographer. What was memorable to you? Were they in ripped jeans with a hat and Doc Martens on? Did they make a big scene or stand in front of everybody during the ceremony? Or did you see a photographer who somehow felt like they belonged there as a part of the party? Looked the part, acted the part, and the photos seemed like a byproduct of that kind of access to the important moments. Go find THAT photographer and look at their work. At the end of the day you’ll walk away from even the best wedding with very few things. Memories, photos (and video) of those memories, and the person you married. No number of posed, cheesy, Pinteresty photos regardless of how many likes they’ll get you on instagram will protect those memories if they aren’t shot authentically so : hire a photographer based on the fact that they are super confident and…. That you like them! Protip here : you’re going to spend more than you think you are and here’s how...
Wedding Photography Cost Explained : Even a GREAT wedding photographer only has so much creative capacity. At the end of the day this is a creative job through and through and it’s incredibly taxing. I know the photos are largely captured on one day but the planning, the prep, the scheduling, and the time investing in you as a couple SHOULD take at least 8-10 hours per couple. The time backing up, processing the images, editing, exporting, uploading, and delivering your photos SHOULD take another 20 or so hours. So even for a fairly straight forward and simple wedding you can expect your photographer to invest about 40 total hours into your wedding which means that they’re absolutely crazy if they’re shooting more than 30-35 weddings a year. It’s just not sustainable and will eventually end up absolutely burning them out. Why does this matter to you? Well - every burnt out photographer still has weddings to shoot and you don’t want to find out afterwards that yours was the one that happened to fall when they just had nothing left in the tank. So : take their cost, multiply it by 25 (if they’re awesome) and then take out the 30% lost in taxes and probably another 20% lost in business fees and overhead and you’re left with roughly their annual income. Still think you can hire a photographer who’s full time for $1,500? No way.
Check this link out for a little more of my business concept, the gear I use, and my back story from the perspective of how I teach and train other wedding photographers on how to do this job!
This is a lot to sort through right? Well if you’re in the market for a wedding photographer CLICK HERE and give me a little info about your wedding. Even if I’m unavailable, over budget, or just not a great fit I’d love to help connect you with somebody that you can trust!
5. How to buy a wedding dress.
Shop the heck out of these things. This should be the fun part right? Ok, first thing’s first - don’t be hard on yourself. Check those insecurities at the door and determine to find a dress that you feel beautiful in. I’ve heard people at dress shops say often this is a lot like getting a new haircut. People always want to come in with a photo of some gorgeous celebrity and say “I want this one” and they forget that they may not look or be built just like that person is. Let me say this, I’ve seen a handful of dresses that were flat out poor decisions but about 90% of the 600 weddings I’ve shot have been with absolutely beautiful dresses of all shapes and sizes for absolutely beautiful brides of all shapes and sizes. Schedule appointments at a few shops and don’t fall so in love with one designer that you don’t look around. Often dress shops will see a dress on you that is “almost perfect” and have the right next option in mind that may not have ever jumped off the hanger to you! I mentioned above a few dress shops in Northwest Arkansas I love but let me say them again because I absolutely love all three though I’ve specifically worked with the owners of both of the top two for years and love the way they treat their clients. I don’t know the third as well but have seen gorgeous dresses come out of the shop so I’m certain they’re just as great!
Tesori
She Said Yes
Joon Bridal
Once you set appointments make this thing fun. Take a few people with you who will build you up and sip some champagne with you when you pick THE one. Check all the dramatic or negative friends at the door! Want my advice on which one to pick? Well good - because it’s my blog so you’re gonna get it… Go for timeless. If you’re on the fence between a wild trendy right now dress and something a bit more classic remember nobody has ever said “Audrey Hepburn is so dated”. Timeless elegance will always age well but a lot (maybe most) bridal trends burn out really quickly. Remember the wooden bow ties? No? Well I do, and it wasn’t a great stage in men’s fashion but for a few years every trendy groom wore them and now… They have photos wearing them on their walls forever and a lot of explaining to do to their kids.
Here’s a few photos of a couple dresses that have stuck out to me over the years as well as links to a few weddings packed full of timeless elegance you might peek at for a little bit of inspo!
6. Hiring the right DJ or Band.
Hopefully by now you’ve hired a wedding planner to help with this decision (see tip number 2). The decision to hire a DJ or a Band often comes down to money if I’m honest. The obvious truth here is that DJ’s are cheaper generally speaking but don’t let price dictate value in this decision. I’ll say it bluntly : a decent DJ is better than a decent band EVERY day. A good DJ is better than a good band EVERY day. A GREAT DJ, is not better than a GREAT BAND but the truth is, there’s more great dj’s then there are great bands. I’ve heard some absolutely painful wedding bands over the years and the thing that tends to tie them together isn’t being off key, it’s being out of touch. Playing music that people just don’t want to hear or aren’t responding to is a struggle that a dj can work around pretty easily. Country not working? Play some hip-hop. Oldschool Rap not working? Pour some sugar on me and watch the dance floor flood. Spice girls not working? Well - the wedding is dead and it’s time to call it quits but the truth is bands can’t pivot like this. They have to have a set list and songs they all know so you’re not really comparing apples to apples between the two.
Why do I love bands so much?
They’re interactive and fun! I’m thinking of bands like Lost Wax from Missori, Boom Kinetic from NWA, and GO GO Gadget from NYC. I’ve had a few of the most fun nights of MY LIFE (yes even at work) with these bands because they’re energy is so high and their talent just explodes over the top. All that said, I don’t for a second forget to mention DJ’s like Brock, Derek, Jared, and Russ on here because I’ve also partied my feet off on dance floors with each of them. At the end of the day here’s a QUICK unapologetic approach to a few favorites while I delicately try not to ruffle anybody’s feathers.
Lost Wax : Buckle UP. You’ll Party.
Boom Kinetic : 80’s / 90’s Jams played as well as they were the first time.
Brock : Full scale EMCEE that will get people out on the dance floor or bust. Professional, kind, caring
Derek : The Club DJ you wish you were friends with. He mixes all night keeping one song somehow going for literally hours blending seamlessly so nobody considers leaving the dance floor.
Jared : The high end vibe that matches your decor and your energy. Everything from his look to his booth is rad.
7. Building your wedding day schedule.
You’re in luck on this one. THIS LINK will give you an entire 10 hour wedding day broken down with a million examples of photos from each time block for nearly every 15 minutes all day! We built this resource years ago not just for brides and grooms like you but for the wedding planners that we work with over and over to really be able to visualize the time it takes to do each section well. These days photographers, vendors, clients, and people in our mentor groups have referenced this guide as a way to push forward the simple fact that great photography takes time. I think you’ll love it but just in case you’re in a rush and made it all the way to number 7 in this ginormous blog about planning your wedding without the patience to click one more link : here’s the break down!
1:15 Photographer Arrives for Make-up Photos, flat lay, detail shots
2:30 Bridesmaids Photo Ready
2:45 Bride Gets Dressed
3:00 Bridesmaid Photos
3:30 First Look with Bride’s Dad
3:40 First Look and Couple’s Photos
4:15 Groomsmen Photos
4:45 Family Photos Begin
5:15 All Photos Wrap Up (Guests Arrive)
5:15 All Decor is set, reception room cleared and candles lit for photos
6:00 Ceremony
6:30 Cocktail Hour Begins
7:15 Sunset Couple’s Photos
7:30 Enter Reception to First Dance, welcome from Bride’s father, and dinner
8:15 Cake Cut and Toasts
8:30 Father Daughter / Mother Son Dances
8:45 Dance Floor Open
11:00 Last Song, Guests are sent outside
11:05 Last Dance (private for Bride and Groom)
11:15 Send Off
8. Wedding day florals from your wildest dreams.
I spent years quietly knocking wedding flowers. Did you know that? It’s true. I don’t know how many times I’ve said “they’re literally dead by the time they arrive.” Rude right? Naw, just ignorant. I saw something happen over the course of the last few years as our photography went up to a whole new demographic of couple. Our weddings got more beautiful all around and something tied that beauty together. The flowers. Sure it’s hard to make a space like Crystal Bridges or Osage House look ugly but how do you make it look unique? How do you take a venue that has 100 weddings at it each year and make it yours? How do you take your vision, your colors, your concept our of the clouds and see it really come to life? Well the answer is fairly complex because it’s a mixture of lighting, furniture, centerpieces, stemware, silverware, room layout, bla bla bla, but really what’ holds it all together is simple. Flowers. I’ve seen floral budgets well over $100,000 and bouquets that cost less than $25. I’ve seen hydrangeas built into walls and orchids simply elevate a room in the most modern way. I’ve smells thousands of roses and seen cool little seed pods add texture to bouquets that feel like they’re still growing right in a brides’ hands. Lemon trees and peach orchards built inside and all of these things inside of the same venues. Wedding florists are artists, there’s no doubt about it and taking time to see and hear and meet with them is an essential part of the process. If you’re in the NWA area you’ve got to check out Samantha’s Garden, Silks a bloom, Pigment, and Stems by Em but goodness I know I’m forgetting a few. The level of talent in floral here is unbelievable - plan to dedicate some serious budget here and your photography will thank you for it!
OK - I feel like I’ve stretched this thing on so long now nobody will ever read it all the way through. It was supposed to be like handbook for you but it’s turned into a bit more of an encyclopedia of wedding planning in Arkansas. There’s so many more things to consider though
A few things that stand out to me. Ultimately if you’ve made it this far let’s just assume you’ve already hired me, or you’re about to. CLICK HERE to connect directly to me so we can set up a coffee date and get to know each other. I’d be honored to hold the camera on your big day and would be happy to help you meet any of these amazing vendors or answer any questions you may have after reading through this guide!
